Don't leave your young children alone in a vehicle

Tulsa Police say two people left their children locked inside cars this week. <br><br>One parent spent about 20 minutes filling out a job application with his child in the car; the other had stopped to

Wednesday, March 24th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police say two people left their children locked inside cars this week.

One parent spent about 20 minutes filling out a job application with his child in the car; the other had stopped to go shopping. News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright explains why police say leaving your children in the car is never a good idea, regardless of the weather.

Since the weather is still mild outside, police say some parents think it's safe to leave a child in the car without the engine running and the doors locked. They say that's never the case.

Sgt Whitney Allen, Child Crisis Unit: "The parents often say I'm only going to be away for a short period of time, but, we want to remind them that tragedy can occur in a short period of time." 42 children died in hot cars in the US last year, including one in Oklahoma. That number has been on the rise since 1998 when there were 25.

Left in an enclosed car, a child's body temperature can shoot up, heat stroke occurs at 104 degrees, death by hypothermia can happen at 107. Sgt Whitney Allen: "Because children are smaller, have a smaller body mass, hypothermia can happen to them faster than adults."

Tulsa Police say even if you're going to be inside for only a moment, its best not to leave babies in the car, because on a 73 degree day, it only takes 15 minutes for a car to become 100 degrees and that's too much for a little one.

The parents who left their children in their cars this week were found, and officers filed reports on them. Since the children weren't harmed, charges probably won't be filed.

Just this year, three children have died after being left inside cars in Florida and Oregon.